Sunset
by MoonlightSpirit
Summary: Katara and Zuko go on a mission to save Zuko's mother from death. Can they get to her in time? Along the way, something in Zuko and Katara's relationship changes. And they learn the true meaning of a sunset.
1. The Legend of the Sunset

**I thought of this after watching the part of the Season 3 finale trailer with Zuko and Katara dressed like ninja's. So here's **_**Sunset**_**.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

The sun was setting on the horizon while Zuko and Katara set up their camp. Now I know what your thinking, _Why are Zuko and Katara alone together? _Well, someting happened hours ago that led to this moment...

_Flashback_

_It was dinnertime at the Western Air Temple when Katara said to Zuko in the usual cold tone she used with him"Zuko, I need to talk to you in private." Zuko looked at her slightly confused. Katara rarely talked to him in general, let alone in private._

_"Ummm sure," Zuko said. He followed Katara away from the group, toward Appa._

_"What did you want to tak about?" Zuko asked. Katara took a piece of paper out of her pocket and thrust it into his hands._

_"Sokka and I found this when we went to get supplies," she said avoiding Zuko's eyes, "I thought you would be interested in it." Zuko looked down at the paper and his eyes widened in shock. The paper read:_

_**Three days ago, a group of Fire Nation soldiers known as the **_**Southern Raiders**_**, famous for invading the South Pole in a Fire Nation raid ten years ago, recognized a women as former Fire Lady Ursa. Yesterday, Fire Lord Ozai revealed that former Fire Lady Ursa was banished seven years ago for the mureder of Fire Lord Azulon. Fire Lord Ozai announced that as penelty for returning to the Fire Nation under banishment, former Fire Lady Ursa will be executed in five days.**_

_"Sokka and I overheard that she's being kept at the Southern Raiders camp," Katara said, still avoiding Zuko's eyes, "It's across a huge lake. If you want, I could help you get there and save your mother." Zuko looked at Katara in confusion._

_"Why would you help me?" he asked her. Katara sighed and finally met Zuko's eyes._

_"I lost my mother at a young age," Katara said, "I wouldn't wish it on anyone to lose their mother. Even my enemy."_

_End Flashback_

So it was because of that that Zuko and Katara were two days into their journey to save Zuko's mom. When they finished setting up camp, Katarasat on her sleeping bag, watching the sun set over the ocean. Zuko sat next to her.

"Do you have to sit so close?" Katara asked.

"My uncle told me a legend about the sunset," Zuko said, ignoring Katara's statement completely, "Do you want to hear it?"

"Oh joy, story time," Katara said sarcastically, although she was interested in hearing the story. But she would never admit it. Zuko ignored her sarcasm and began his story.

"Long ago there were two lovers," Zuko began, "A firebender, Kozu and a waterbender Taraka. During those times the sun didn't set on the horizon. It would just disappear at night. Kozu and Taraka loved each other, but they were natural opposites. Fire and water. Their people hated each other and hated the fact that Kozu and Taraka were together. They tried to keep them apart, tried to talk since into them, but nothing worked. In the end, Kozu and Taraka were murdered when taking a walk throught the forest. Legend says that after their deaths, Kozu became the Spirit of the Sun while Taraka became the Spirit of the Ocean. And people began to notice that after Kozu and Taraka's deaths, the sun began to set over the ocean, fire and water meeting as one. The sunset symbolizes Kozu and Taraka's love for each other and that fire and water can live peacefully as one." Katara had hung onto Zuko's every word during the story.

"That's a beautiful story," she said quietly. Zuko smiled his small smile.

"Thanks," he said, "anyway, we better get to sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

**Well, there's chapter 1. I hope you liked it. Did anyone notice something interesting about Kozu and Taraka's names? Please Review!**


	2. The Killer

**Thanks for the great reviews! Here's chapter 2! This one take place when Katara is doing something like stopping the rain and when she looks like she's bloodbending. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

Zuko woke up when the first rays of the sun hit his face. He slowly got up, rubbing his eyes sleepily. If he and Katara wanted to get to his mother on time they would have to get moving. He turned to wake up Katara and noticed the peaceful look on her face while she slept. Her beautiful face was relaxed instead of twisted in hatred, as it usually was around him. It took all Zuko's will power not to run his fingers through her sliky dark brown hair that was sprawled around her. Eventually, Zuko gently shook her shoulder, whispering, "Katara, wake up." Katara mumbeled something about "5 more minutes," and rolled over. Zuko couldn't help but smile at how cute she sounded.

"Katara come on, you've got to wake up," he said, "We've got to get going." Katara opened her eyes slowly and yawned.

"You weren't kidding when you said you rise with the sun, were you," she yawned.

"No," Zuko chuckeled, "Now come on, we have to get going if we're going to make it there in time." Katara and Zuko packed up camp and continued their journey. The Southern Raiders camp was visable in the distance. An awkward silence fell over them. A light rain began to fall. Katara was the first to break it.

"What was your mother like?" she asked. Zuko thought for a moment.

"She was loving," he said, "Sweet, caring, beautiful. She was a very patient person. And she may not have known it, but I knew that she knew Azula was a little crazy."

"A little?" Katara said disbelievingly.

"Okay alot," Zuko admitted, "She gets it from my father." Katara was about to say something when Zuko put out his arm to stop her.

"Someone's watching us," he said in a sudden serious tone. It was true. There was someone ahead of them, wearing fire commander clothing. And walking straight toward him with the oddest look on his face. Zuko stepped protectively in front of Katara.

"You," the commander said. He was considerably older. At least in his late 50's. He pointed at Katara as he said this.

"Me?" Katara asked. She had never seen this man in her life.

"I killed you," he said, "How are you here?" Katara stepped out from behind Zuko.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I killed you back in the raid of the Southern Water Tribe," the man said as the rain fell harder. Katara eyes widened as her brain pieced together the pieces. People always said she looked like her mother...

"You killed my mother!" Katara shouted as thunder crashed in the sky. An unexplainable anger rose inside her. She was face to face with the man responsible for her mother's death.

"The waterbending wench deserved it," the commander snapped. Katara froze the water under his feet, causing him to fall to the ground. Lighting flashed, illuminating Katara's angry face.

"Don't you dare called my mother that!" she shouted. Suddenly, Katara stopped the falling rain and froze it, pelting the commander with small, painfal balls of ice, her anger taking over. The attack did its damage. It pelted the commander who began to bleed because of the force of the attack on his skin. Zuko looked in shock at the vicious look on Katara's face.

"Katara stop!" he houted over thunder. Katara was going to kill the man if she didn't stop. But his words fell to deaf ears. Katara instead did the weirdest move. She moved her hand in front of her face and bent it. She didn't bend any water, but the commander began to writher in the most disturbing way, as if he had no control over his body. Zuko suddenly remembered something his uncle told him. Some waterbenders had the ability to bend people's blood, although most choose not to. It was not in the nature of a waterbender to hurt. But Katara was blinded by her anger. And Zuko know she would hate herself if she killed the commander. Zuko grabbed Katara from behind, holding her hands in his so she couldn't bend.

"Let me go!" she shouted, struggling against Zuko's grip as the commander scrambeled up from the ground and ran away from Katara as fast as possible.

"KATARA STOP!" Zuko shouted. Katara suddenly stopped struggling, realizing what she just did.

"I bloodbent," she whispered. She just did the very thing she swore never to do again. She suddenly collapsed on the ground in sobs. Zuko knelt next to her and did the most unexpected thing. He hugged her, letting her cry in his chest. Katara was so upset, she didn't even care Zuko was hugging her.

"I swore never to do it again," she sobbed, "I never wanted to learn the stupid move in the first place. I don't want to bloodbend."

"Shhhh," Zuko said, stroking Katara's hair, "It's okay, you didn't mean to. You were angry." Katara just cried as she and Zuko sat in the pouring rain.

**Well there's chapter 2! How was it? Enjoy!**


	3. Reunion and a Surprise

**Thanks for the great reviews! Here's chapter 3! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

"Katara are you okay?" Zuko asked after a few minutes, when the rain had finally died down. He still held the shaking girl in his arms.

"Yeah," Katara said, wiping her eyes, "Sorry about breaking down like that."

"Don't apologize," Zuko said quietly, "But if you don't mind me asking, what was that all about?"

"I learned bloodbending from this old women in the Fire Nation that escaped from prison," Katara explained, "She lived in the South Pole during one of the first Fire Nation raids and was eventually captured. She taught me bloodbending and I-I wish I never learned the stupid move! I hate the thought of controlling someone against their will!" Katara sounded close to tears again, "Anyway, this I'm being stupid. It's over, I can't change it. We better go if we want to save you mother." Katara began to stand up, but Zuko grabbed her hand.

"Katara are you sure your okay?" he asked, standing up too. Katara closed her eyes and said, "I just let the man who killed my mother get away. How do you think I feel?"

"You had to Katara," Zuko said, "Your mother wouldn't have wanted you to kill him. If you did, it wouldn't make you any better than he is." Katara sighed heavily.

"You're right," she said, "But I feel as if I let her down."

"Well, you're not," Zuko said, "Your teaching the Avatar waterbending, your helping restore peace to the world, I think your mother would be pretty proud of you." Katara looked at him and smiled.

"Really?" she asked.

"Really," Zuko said, "Now let's go before we run into another person from your past that you'll kill." So Zuko and Katara continued their journey. When they reached the lake Katara talked about, Katara made a block of ice for her and Zuko to take across it. She used her waterbending to help them get across faster. Zuko was impressed by her waterbendeing. He couldn't help but watch her. Katara felt him staring at her.

"Is there a reason your staring at me?" Katara asked Zuko. Zuko blushed, angry at himself for letting her catch him.

"Just thinking," Zuko lied.

"Okay," Katara said in a way that made Zuko know that she knew he was lying. It didn't take long for them to reach the other side of the lake where the camp of the Southern Raiders was. It was surrounded by a twenty foot walls made of wood. Zuko and Katara hid behind one of the walls and Zuko peered through a hole in it.

"Do you see her?" Katara asked. Zuko looked around and soon spotted his mother tied to a tree. She looked different than he remembered. Her hair was longer and wilder. Her face had a sad, hopeless look to it. Her usually bright gold eye were dull. She was wearing green Earth Kingdom clothing. But it was still his mother.

"I see her," Zuko said. He could hardly believe he was looking at his mother, whom he hadn't seen for years.

"There are too many guards around though," Zuko said, "We'll need a distraction." Katara thought for a moment.

"I have an idea," she said, "Let me see through the hole." Zuko moved aside so Katara could see. She stood there for a moment, then turned to Zuko.

"Your mother is tied to a tree near a wall," Katara said, "I can use my waterbending to cut a hole through it and untie your mother. There are tents on either side of her, so no one will see us." Zuko nodded and followed Katara to another wall. She took water out of her water skin and easily cut a hole through the wall, catching the falling wood before it made a sound. Zuko's mother however heard movement behind her and looked. Her eyes widened.

"Who-" she began to say. Zuko cut her off.

"We're here to save you," he said. Katara cut through Zuko's mother's ropes and motioned for her to follow them. She did so. They waited until the camp of the Southern Raiders was out of sight before talking.

"Who are you two?" Zuko's mother asked.

"Mom, you don't remember me?" Zuko asked.

"Mom?" Zuko's mother questioned. She looked at Zuko hard, then her eyes widened with realization.

"Zuko?" she asked. Zuko nodded.

"It's me mom," he said. Tears burned in his mother's eyes as she pulled him into a tight hug, kissing his forehead.

"My son," she said, tears streaming down her face, "How did you get her? How did you find me? Where did you get that scar?"

"Mom," Zuko said. Katara was surprised to see a tear fall down Zuko's face, "I'll answer your questions later. I just can't believe I've found you." Katara felt tears burning in her own eyes as she watched the touching reunion. Zuko's mother looked at her.

"And who is this lovely lady?" Ursa asked, letting go of her son.

"I'm Katara of the Southern Water Tribe," Katara said, shaking Ursa's hand.

"Ursa, former Fire Lady," Ursa said.

"Katara helped me get to you," Zuko said.

"Well, thank you Katara," Ursa said, giving the young girl a hug, "Are you Zuko's girlfriend?" Ursa let go of Katara in time to see her shocked look.

"No," she said slowly.

"Oh," said Ursa, "I'm sorry. I just thought."

"It's okay," said Katara, "Anyway, we better get back to everyone else."

"Everyone else?" Ursa asked.

"Katara travels with the Avatar, her brother and another friend. I just joined their group," Zuko explained. Ursa looked surprised.

"Impressive," Ursa said, "I would love to meet these friends of yours." So the three of them began their journey back to the Western Air Temple. And for the first time, Katara saw a real smile cross Zuko's face.

"Zuko, did your Uncle Iroh ever tell you the legend of the sunset?" Ursa asked as she watched the sunset as they walked.

"Yeah," Zuko said, "I told it to Katara on the way here." Ursa smiled.

"Did you notice," Ursa said, "That the names of the lovers in the legend are you and Katara's names, but the letters are switched? And Kozu was the firebender, like Zuko and Taraka was a waterbender, like Katara." Ursa walked ahead, leaving behind two stunned blushing teens.

**Well, there's chapter 3. There wasn't Zutara in this like I originally thought there would be, so I'll put this in Friendship/Family. Please Review!**


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